The Huffington Post is writing about Kevin McCarthy's history with earmarks — and how democrats are hammering him on it.

Go here for the story.

They follow up on our reporting on the issue.

Kevin McCarthy, who famously eschewed any earnarks for Kern County in the earmark-apalooza of a spending bill last month, is crying foul over cuts to a local program.

Technically, though, he's in keeping with his statement that the only good pork is military pork.

Apparently, though politicians have all said sacrifices must be made in this year's budget, no one wants it to be their toes on the chopping block!

Here are excerpts from a letter sent to Secty. of Defense Robert Gates:

Congressmen McCarthy and McKeon Send Letter to Secretary Gates Urging Support for Critical Airborne Laser Program


WASHINGTON—Today, Congressmen McCarthy and McKeon sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expressing concern about reports that the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget may include funding cuts for the Airborne Laser (ABL) Program.

 
“The Airborne Laser program is on the cutting edge of our nation’s self-defense,” said Congressman McCarthy.  “In a time of global challenges, I am concerned the Administration is being short-sighted by considering significant budget cuts to our defense budget.  I will continue to work with my friend Buck McKeon and other Members of Congress to support the Airborne Laser program being tested at Edwards Air Force Base to strengthen our nation’s defense.”

“The benefits of the Airborne Laser technology are great and far-reaching,” said McKeon.  “America’s ability to destroy a missile cloaked with a chemical, biological, or nuclear warhead on enemy territory serves as a great disincentive against a hostile enemy attack. And ABL’s ability to engage a target with multiple shots or to identify and shoot at multiple targets gives it a great advantage as well.

“Further development in weapon-laser technology will have additional applications that will be beneficial to American national security in the future.   A reliable weaponized laser that shoots precisely focused bullets of light traveling at 186,000 miles per second promises to be useful for other missions beyond the scope of missile defense.

 
“I am proud of the work being done in my congressional district at Edwards Air Force Base by our dedicated engineers and employees.  Representative Kevin McCarthy and I strongly encourage Secretary Gates to support funding for this technology, so our country can build upon the progress already made.”
 

Congressman Kevin McCarthy, R- Bakersfield, will grab some airwave time on the AIG issue tomorrow morning.

He'll be on MSNBC at 6 a.m. and Fox News at 7 a.m.

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Dean Florez shared some snapshots of him meeting with President Obama Thursday.

Florez, D-Shafter, met with Obama in Los Angeles after attending his town hall meeting on the economy and now is in Washington, D.C., for a National Conference of State Legislatures, his office said.

The conference, it said, includes an economic briefing with the president, vice president and top policy advisors.

“I am honored and humbled by this opportunity,” Florez said in a news release. “I welcome the chance to put my experience as an MBA to good use in reporting back to the Legislature on the great potential the stimulus has to create jobs and improve infrastructure in California.”
 
Here are photos of Florez with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Obama on Thursday.

Here's Congressman Kevin McCarthy's appearance on Hardball this afternoon, FYI.

He's asking what Treasury/Fed/Congressional officials knew about AIG bonuses and when they knew it.

— Government team leader Christine Bedell

Congressman Kevin McCarthy will appear on MSNBC at 2 p.m. our time to talk about the Congressional AIG hearing today, his office said.

Just an FYI, if you want to watch. If you miss it, maybe MSNBC will have clips up here later.

— Government team leader Christine Bedell

If Kevin McCarthy is so opposed to earmarks, at least non-military ones, why did he secure several just last year?

That’s what a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee official is pointedly asking in the latest round of debate over McCarthy’s earmarks — or lack thereof.

“Kevin McCarthy won’t make project funding requests for his constituents because he says the system’s broken. Yet he didn’t have any problem with the same system last year?” asked Andy Stone, western regional press secretary for the DCCC, which supports Democratic House candidates.

“That’s more than inconsistency, that’s blatant hypocrisy and his constituents are paying the price.”

McCarthy, first elected to Congress in November 2006, said he got more and more frustrated with the earmark system as he served in D.C.

“A person can’t learn as they go?” McCarthy asked.

He pointed out he listed his earmarks on his Web site unlike some other Congress members.

Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan budget watchdog, attributes these 2008 earmarks to McCarthy, either him alone or with other lawmakers:

• $245,000: 16th Street, San Miguel Railroad Crossing Safety                                                        
• $738,000: Applied Agriculture and Environmental Research                                                     
• $143,000: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for purchase of equipment                                                         
• $192,000: California State Bakersfield for nurse training programs, including purchase of equipment                                                                                                                         

• $1,378,000: Central California Ozone Study, San Joaquin Valley Pollution Control District

• $70,500: Bakersfield Police Department                                                                                                 
• $359,000: Cotton Pathology, Shafter                                                                                                      
• $1,000,000: Flow Path Analysis Tool, Redlands; Palmdale                                                

• $1,200,000: Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstrator, Sacramento                                                           
• $8,500,000: Main Base Runway Phase 4, Edwards AFB                                                                
• $35,000,000: Main Base Runway, Phase III, Edwards AFB                                                            
• $637,000: Meadows Field Airport expansion                                                                                     
• $1,600,000: Next Generation Electronic Warfare Simulator, Hunt Valley                                                      
• $842,000: North Valley Regional Water Infrastructure                                                                                
• $1,575,000: Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Agua Dulce project area                                     
• $1,631,000: Pierce's Disease                                                                                                       
• $282,000: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department                                                           
• $720,000: Terminal Radar Approach Control Quick Connect Panel and Switchgear, Edwards

Inga Barks said at the top of her show today that Chad Vegas was going to make a big announcement on air.

So we listened. And listened. And listened. (Yes, we fell for the tease).

A couple hours later, the answer: He is NOT running for the Assembly or Congress. He wants to continue being a pastor.

And starting March 23 his sermons will air weekdays at 5 p.m.on KERN's sister station, 1410 AM. (Remember KERN moved to 1180).

Inga described his sermons as "deep but easy listening." Vegas didn't know exactly what that meant, either.

— Government team leader Christine Bedell

Field Poll shared some interesting tidbits today on how great a place to live people think California is and what they think of splitting us up into two states.

A majority in the valley thinks the Golden State is either one of the best or at least nice places but, not surprisingly, folks on the coast and north and south of us like it better.

Me? I love California and have never seriously thought of leaving. But the weather, economy and other amenities in the valley — and cost of living in my hometown in the South Bay area (of L.A.) — tug at my loyalty.

How about you?

Here are some of the poll results:

• 80 percent of registered voters surveyed in inland counties disapproved of an east-west divide. 10 percent approved and 10 percent had no opinion. Statewide 82 percent disapproved and 9 percent approved.

• As for a north-south split, 71 percent of California registered voters disapproved while 19 percent approved. In Southern California, 76 percent disapproved and 15 percent approved while 62 percent of Northern Californians disapproved and 27 percent approved.

So how great of a place to live is the Golden State?

In the Central Valley:

• 30 percent say one of the best.
• 25 percent nice, but not outstanding.
• 26 percent about average.
• 15 percent poor.

Statewide, 41 percent said one of the best, 25 percent nice, 22 percent about average and 9 percent poor.

— Government team leader Christine Bedell
 

Congressman Kevin McCarthy says he wishes he'd emphasized a point with me in our discussion last week of why there weren't any earmarks from him in the pork-filled 2009 Omnibus Spending bill.

In the story that resulted from our talk, I paraphrased McCarthy as saying "He doesn't want anything to do with "earmarks," except for worthy military projects."

What he should have emphasized, McCarthy told me this week, is that he doesn't want anything to do with earmarks under the current earmark system, which he doesn't find very transparent and which he thinks allows for wasteful spending.

Going forward, he clarified, he wants major earmark reform to make the projects more transparent and vetted and if that happens, you may very well see earmarks from him that benefit his district.

— Government team leader Christine Bedell

There's not much new news here (to us) but if you want another outside look at Congressman Kevin McCarthy, here's a new Washington TImes piece:

GOP deputy whip McCarthy on political fast track
Kara Rowland

Rising star, up-and-comer — call him what you will — Rep. Kevin McCarthy is someone to watch.

After a mere nine months as a state representative, Mr. McCarthy was elected House Republican leader in California. Now, two months into his second congressional term, he's working in the House's Republican leadership as chief deputy whip.

The post has been a career springboard for several high-profile House Republicans. Former Illinois Rep. Dennis Hastert was chief deputy whip before he became speaker of the House, and both current Minority Whip Eric Cantor and Rep. Roy Blunt used it as a steppingstone to become whip.

The 43-year-old Mr. McCarthy also helped found the Republican Young Guns along with Mr. Cantor and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan in an effort to sharpen Republicans' message and recruit "fresh-thinking" candidates to run for the House. The Young Guns were among the first to argue that Republicans had defaulted into voting against Democrats without offering alternatives of their own.

"I remember thinking we can't just sit back and play defense; if we really want to find solutions, we need to challenge people on their ideas," Mr. McCarthy says.

You can read the rest of the story here:

From Congressman Kevin McCarthy's office today, but you gotta be a die hard to listen, given the time:

Tune in: Congressman McCarthy to be on Bill Bennett's Morning in America
 
WASHINGTON – Tuesday, March 10, 2009, Congressman McCarthy will be on Bill Bennett’s Morning in America radio show from 7:30am-7:45am (EDT) to discuss the budget and “omnibus” spending bill.  
 
About Bill Bennett's Morning in America: Airs in 200 cities from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. (Eastern), Monday through Friday.  It is also simulcast on Sirius & XM. 

http://www.bennettmornings....

Bakersfield businessman Michael Moore has served Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, with recall papers.

He did it Saturday. Ashburn's vote for new taxes in the budget was the reason.

“He made a pledge (to vote against taxes),” Moore said. “He broke that pledge.”

It will take months and more than 42,000 signatures to get the recal on the ballot.

The mega federal spending bill stalled in Congress is stuffed with, by one count, thousands of pet projects totaling billions of dollars.

Bakersfield’s take from the increasingly powerful Congressman Kevin McCarthy?

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

He doesn’t want to have anything to do with the current “earmarks” system, except perhaps for things that beef up the military.

Which begs the question: Is he being fiscally responsible or shafting his district? Or both?

FYI: Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan budget watchdog, says it has found 8,570 disclosed earmarks worth $7.7 billion in the 2009 Omnibus Spending Bill.

So what do you think?

Here's our annual roundup of the latest economic interest statements filed by our state lawmakers (they were due Monday). They detail gifts, income and investments received in 2008.

The gifts are usually my favorite part but this year's lists are pretty dull. Just some expensive dinners, a few lodgings for Dean Florez.

We'll get reports from city council members and county supervisors next month.

See anything interesting?

— Government team leader Christine Bedell

State Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield
Income:
$10,001-$100,000: KERN Radio 1410

Gifts:
Dinner, California Professional Firefighters, Dec. 2, 2008, $101.17
Dinner, California Chamber of Commerce, May 13, 2008, $58.83

State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter
Income:
Florez Capital Partners, president and CEO, worth $2,000-$10,000. Gross income to the corporation $10,001-$100,000. Single source of income $10,000 or more: AFAB Company II, LLC.
Elsa Florez dba Eventfully Yours Fundraising, worth $2,000-$10,000. Gross income to sole proprietorship $1,001-$10,000.

Gifts:
Dinner, California Democratic Party, Jan. 7, 2008, $174.69
Dinner, Chukchansi Economic Development Authority, July 31, 2008, $63.92
Lodging, Chukchansi Economic Development Authority, July 31, 2008, $75
Lodging, Consumer Attorneys of California, Dec. 2, 2008, $343.35
Meals — Senate retreat, California Professional Firefighters, Dec. 2, 2008, $252.92
Gift basket, Steinberg for Senate 2010, Dec. 2, 2008, $106.42
Lodging, No. California Carpenters Regional Council, Dec. 3, 2008, $343.35


Assemblyman Danny Gilmore, R-Hanford
No reportable interests

Assemblywoman Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield
Investments, income and assets of business entities/trusts:
Partner in Woodbridge Apartments in Lancaster, worth more than $1 million

Property interests:
201 Aviation St. in Shafter, worth $10,001 to $100,000
1/2 interest in three Lake Isabella properties, each worth $10,000-$100,000
Lancaster property worth $2,000-$10,000
Oxnard property worth $10,001-$100,000

Gifts:
Reception, California Tribal Business Alliance, Jan. 23, 2008, $89.29
Banquet, State Farm, Feb. 2, 2008, $62.50
Chamber of Commerce dinner, State Farm, Jan. 24, 2008, $60
Reception, Consulting Engineers & Land Surveyors of California, Feb. 12, 2008, $51.73
Reception, Regional Council of Rural Counties, Jan. 23, 2008, $131.47
Reception, California Motor Car Dealers, March 25, 2008, $50
Dinner, California Citrus Mutual, March 11, 2008, $86.44
Dinner, California Motor Car Dealers, March 25, 2008, $49.59
Reception, California Cable and Telecommunications Association, April 28, 2008, $52.98
Breakfast, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, Aug. 21, 2008, $53.35
Lunch, Union Pacific, May 21, 2008, $57
Dinner, Chuckchansi Economic Development Authority, Dec. 23, 2008, $213.20

Gay marriage supporters are planning local rallies the evening before and day that the California Supreme Court hears arguments for and against Proposition 8.

There will be a rally Wednesday at the south end of Cecil Avenue Park in Delano at 4 p.m.

Then Thursday, several rallies will be held across Bakersfield and Kern County starting at 5 p.m.

In Bakersfield, demonstrators will be at the corners of Coffee and Rosedale, Stockdale Highway and New Stine (Outback Restaurant side), and Mt Vernon and Mall View Road.

In Tehachapi, another rally will be held at the corner of Tucker Road and Valley Blvd.

"It's important to take a stand for equality and to urge the Supreme Court to invalidate
Prop.8,"” said Juan Cerda, Bakersfield LGBTQ Director of Advocacy, in a news release. “It is wrong to take away rights from our fellow neighbors, we all want the same rights, we want equality.”